The avalanche of anger, aguish and agitations following the brutal tragedy of rape in the capital city of India swept the nation. The sustained rage and resounding clamour for changes in the governance structure visible on the streets of Delhi surprised many political commentators, verbose journalists, political class and ordinary mortals alike. History has witnessed the atrocities and barbarity against women especially in this part of the world, since the time immemorial. Even in the post-independence India, plethora of heinous crimes and horrendous incidents of brutality against women have been recorded and reported that would shame and disgrace any civilised society. But never before, the great Indian middle class – cynosure of political and market forces, felt so disturbed by the uneasy and unnerving events around them. The heart wrenching tragedies of rapes in the Kashmir and Assam, the daily tribulations of tribal women and unprecedented crimes of Gujrat riot failed to break the solemn vow of rewarding silence of the strenuous middle class.
Nay, but not this time- ‘the gruesome tragedy has finally awakened the souls of "The great Indian Middle Class" from their collective slumber’, the somber, erudite social scientist visible on our television screen announced with emphatic pride’. I too believed, that the smell of people’s rebellion in chilling air of Delhi heralds the arrival of ‘Tipping Point’ that may become the springboard for triggering the changes in society’s attitude towards women.
Alas! just a few months later, on a busy day - when the summer sun engulfed winter breeze, when the spirited candle light soldiers returned to their barracks, when the social scientists confided in their cozy study rooms, the precious sacred stone of ‘Belief’ in the power and prudence of ordinary middle class people shattered into uncountable pieces by a terrible blow. One of the most renowned and prestigious institutions of India ‘SRCC’ invited Mr.Narender Modi to deliver a lecture to academia. The current chief minister of Gujrat who is being paraded and pedaled as the next prime minister of India is alleged to have allowed the murders, mayhem, rape and plunder of a specific community right under his nose during his tenure as a chief minister of Gujrat in 2002. What baffled me most is the support or at best the indifference of the large number of same set of people protesting on the streets, facebook and twitter against the incompetence and insensitivity of state machinery few months back .The feeble and faltering voices of sprinkling of spirited protesters gathered outside the auditorium could not be heard in the loud hosannas sung to praise Lord Modi. I was embarrassed to witness the naked dance of cruel ironies – Narender Modi speaking about women empowerment and equality at an event organized by FICCI Ladies Organisation, yet he is same the same man who is alleged to have buried his head in the sand when the helpless women in his state were subject to most ignominious and reprehensible brutalities during Gujrat riot in 2002. Nevertheless, the aforesaid institution deals in the currency of ‘Profit’ and ‘Loss’, the words like ‘dignity’, ‘equality’ etc. are not found in the lexicon of financial report cards.
The tragedy of contradictions in responses and reactions demonstrated by this vibrant harbinger of shining India (Indian middle class), deeply disappointed me. My quest for understanding this complex comportment culminated with the find of a wonderful book on the subject ‘The Great Indian Middle Class’ authored by Pavan K Verma .His powerful and sharp insights about the selective behaviour of Indian middle class provided the answers of a few difficult questions fluttering in the mind.In his incisive analysis of Indian middle class he elucidates:
“He attached little priority to an altruistic interface with society. His motivation to contribute to its betterment, without the notion of personal gain, was weak. He saw no great reason why he should identify his personal welfare with the well-being of even his immediate environment. His concerns were restricted to himself, his family, and, at a lower scale, his clan or caste. His cosmic view held an individual to be a microcosm unto himself. There was no need for his path to meander into the needs of others, who, even if they were obviously in need of succour, were only suffering the consequences of their own karmas.”
(Excerpts from ‘The Great Indian Middle Class’by Pavan K Verma)
Nahi Hai Na-Umeed Iqbal Apni Kisht-e-Weeran Se
Zara Nam Ho To Ye Mitti Bohat Zarkhaiz Hai Saqi
(Allama Iqbal)
